Ditch-filling machine.



H. W. CARDWELL.,

DITCH FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILI-:D ocr. 3o. Isle.

1,244,29@ Patented 001;. 23,1911

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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H. W. CARDWELL.

DlTCH FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 061.30. 191e.

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H'. W. CARDWELL.

DITCH FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION rlLEn ocT.ao.191e.

, Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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BITCH-FILLING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ,.HARLAND W. CARD- wELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Texarkana, in the county of Miller and'State of`Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditch-v Filling Machines; and l do declare the fol- .flowing to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved machine designed primarily for use in filling ditches and other excavations with thesame earth which has been removed therefrom, but it is to be understood that the machineniay be employed wherever applicable.

The principal obj ect of the invention ,is to provide a comparatively simple' et highly eicient and durable machine .o Xthe class described having a number of adjustments for 'permitting it to operate advantageously under various conditions.

.With this general object in view, the in.-

vention resides in certain novel features of constructlon and 1n umque combmatlons of parts to be hereinafter fully described andl claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1' is a top plan view of the improved machine with the derrickfframe in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail vertical transverse sections taken respectively on the planes of the lines 4 4 and 5 5 of` F' 1;

Fig. 6 -is a transverse sectlon taken ap-c proximately on the plane of the line 6 6 of Fig. y1 with parts broken away;` 5 v Fig. 7 is a top plan view of hev parts shown in Fig..6 with the derrick frame. i rollers 21-and 22/ and with-lower rollers 23 and -24 which are adapted to engage thehorizontal section;

Fig. 8 is a vertical vsection the line 8 8 of- Fig.' 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail-horizontal section on the plane of the line 9 9 of Figf, sho the 1votal connection between the relatively gxed and movablev tracks; and

Qt the time of Fig. 10 is a detail longitudinal section. taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 10 10 of Fig. `1,'sh.nving more Specification of Letters Patent. Application `1ed October 30, 19,16. Serial No. 128,503.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

particularly certain featuresof the driving means.

In Aspeciically describing the- 'structureshown 1n the drawings above briey described, similar claracters will be employed to designate corresponding parts. throughv 'wheels 2 and in its rear endsby traction wheels 3.. Depending from one of the side bars 4 of frame 1 is a pair of hangers 5 to which a pair of parallel relativelyixed ,T-iron tracks 6 are pivoted at one end, the

other ends of said tracks having bearings 7 (see Fig. 9) through which horizontal'journals or jpintles'S pass, such journals extending outwardly from a pair: of attaching plates 9 which are 'secured to the inner ends of a phir of relatively movable l'iron tracks 10 which are alined with the tracks A6. The tracks 10 are preferably reinforcedby plates 11l riveted .or otherwise; secured thereto and said tracks are` preferably formed of sections secured together by clearly in Figs. 1, 6'and The journalsS pass through bearings 13 on the lower ends of a pair of upright j hangerst 14 which' yslide through bearing blocks 15 securedbetween the lower ends of ,plates 12 as-shown 4upstanding plates 16, said plates -being--in turn secured to transverse sleepers 17.011 the 'frame 1, said sleepers also having openings throughwhich the hangers 14 ass. The

' sleepers `17 and are formed with openil through .which stop pins 19 are inse r.. will thus he evident that by adjusting the position of the pins 19the bars 14 may be eitherv held in raised or lowered position to properly adjust them tracks '6 to meetthe character of the work being. erformed.

A carriage '20 is provi ed with upper --j/upp'er ends of the bai-S14 exten above the it A ico

rollers 21 being di osed directly above 23..

This fofset relation prevents binding of the outer lrollers/as they travel from one pair .of'tracks to the otherwhen the outer tracks 1Q are disposed in an inclined position asde- 10E horizontally from those of the rollers 24.

picted in lig. 2. lt is unnecessary to odset the inner rollers 2l and 23 in the manner in which rollers 22 and 24 are o'set since said inner rollers may be spaced vertically a sucient distance to prevent them from binding. rllhe outer rollers, however, cannot be so spaced or the carriage would pull upwardly and strike the cross tie bars of the tracks l() when said carriage is being brought inwardly. This would be caused by the tact that the entire weight of the tracks rests on thecarriage and scraper during inward movement of these parts.

For varying the inclination of said tracks,'

a suitable yoke 25 is connected with the outer end thereof and carries a pulley 26 around which a cable 27 is trained, one end of said cable being anchored at 28 to the upper end of a suitable derrick i rame 29 which rises from the rear end of the frame l immediately above the tracks 6: rl'he other end of cable 27 is trained over a pulley 30 mounted on said derrick frame and is wound on a drum 31 whose mounting and driving means will be hereinafter described. llt will be understood however, that winding of the cable 27 on the drum 3l will raise the outer end ot the tracks l0 whereas unwinding ot said cable 'will permit said tracks to lower by gravity.

'l he carriage 20 includes a pair otparallel l-shaped drawbars 32 connected by transverse bars 33 and suitably braced as indicated at 34e, bearings 35 being mounted on said drawbars for rotatably supporting the shafts 36 to the numerous rollers. 'lhe curved downwardly directed ends ot the bars 32 have secured thereto an earth scraping blade 37 which is braced to the carriage by means of rods 38. A pair oi sprocket chains 39 are secured at their opposite ends to the carriage 20, said chains being traine around sprockets on a shaft l0 extending bef.

tween the front ends of the tracks lllyand around additional sprockets on a shaft ll above the rear ends ot the tracks 6; 'llhe upper reaches of the chains 39 pass under a roller 4t2 which is mounted between the innermost plates 16, and over another yroller i3 carried by suitable brackets ld which rise from the inner ends of tracks rollers l5 support thereon thc upper reaches of the chains 39, said rollers being mounted above the outer ends oit thetracks l0, which ends are here connected by a pair of rigid transverse bars d6. By means to be herein.- atter explained, the chains 39 may be driven in either direction, thereby permitting the scraper 37 tobemoved outwardly away trom' a ditch or the like D to be lled and then be ulled inwardly to draw a quantity et earth into' said ditch, .(see llligf. 2.) During its inv ward movement, the 'carriage will travel from the tracks lll onto vthe tracks )6 and et may thus move inwardly the necessary l0., @ther nata-aoc l amount to deposit the load ot the scraper 37 where needed; As the piloot earth isgradually thrown into theditch, the tracks l0 will' be lowered as will be readily understood. 'lhe tracks l0 are' raised and lowered at the outward and inward movement ot the scraper 37.` f

A line shaft extends longitudinally ot is driven by suitable gearthe trame l and ing 5l from an engine 52 mounted on the iront end ot said trame, it being upon this shaft that the drum 31 A combined clutch and brake53 is provided for controlling the movement ot said drum, this device serving when in one position to rotate the drum from the shaft to wind the cable 27 for the purpose out raisingthe tracks against movement.

of clutch members 5l and 55 are arranged on the rear end of shaft 50 and are provided with a single control lever 56, the member 54 being connected with a second longitudinal shaft 57 by means oi a sprocket chain 58, while gearing 59 connects the member with said shaft 57. sprocket chain 60, the shaft 57 drivesthe pair shaft lll, said sprocket passing around an the shaft al is under control and thus the chains 39 may be driven in either direction at will to move carriage outwardly along, the 4tracks..

'lwo clutch members 65 and 66 are loosely mounted on the'shatt 50 for coperation one ata time with another clutch member 67 which is keyed to said shaft and may be shifted thereon at will by a lever 68. Memfber is' connected with a longitudinal shaft' 20 inwardly and is loosely mounted.

'.10 but when in its other position said device locks the drum By means ot a loo lll@4 69 by means oi a sprocket chainv 70 while a gear 7l connects member 66 with said shalt, llt will thus he seen that by throwing the member 67 into engagement w'th one or the other ot the members 65, 66, the shaft 69 may be rotated in either direction.

sprocket chain -72 transmits motion trom in a plane below said shaft 69, and this shaft 73 drives a second longitudinal shaitt 7tl- .through the instrumentality or a sprocket tional transverse shaft 3l., The ends oit i 1,20 shafts 69 to a longitudinal shaft '7 3 disposed shaft `81 transmit motion to the driving!- A wheels 3 by sprocket chains 82 or other suitable connections.

In operation, the machine will straddle 'I the ditch D as shown in Fig. 2 when it is to be used for lling such a ditch, and the 'tracks' 6 and 10 will be adjusted tothe proper heights by means of the hanger bars .14 and the cable 27. These adjustments move the entire machine forwardly orrearwardly as occasion maydemand, the lever 68 will be operated to throw the clutch member` 67 into engagement with 65 or 66 according tothe direction of travel. By operating the machine in this manner, a great deal 'of work can be accomplished with little manual labor and at a-small expense.

. Particular emphasis is laid upon the unique mounting ofthe tracks 6 for permitting necessary adjustments thereof, upon the combined connection between the two sets of tracks and the han er bars 14, upon the oli"- set arrangement o the outer rollers of carriage 2O to prevent binding of said rollers, and in fact upon ,the general structure and arrangement of parts shown'and described.

This assemblage of parts has proven highly satisfactory and therefore constitutes the preferred form 'of the invention but it is to be--understood that within the scope ofthe appended claims, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal ad,

vantages.

I claim:-

y1. Af ditch lling machine. comprising a portable frame having 'a pair'of transverse sleepers secured to its upper side, vertical plates secured to op osed sides of said'` slee ers and extending elow the same, bear-- in locks secured between the lower ends of sald plates and havingl vertical openings', 'vertical hanger bars shdable in said openings and through similar openings in the sleepers, said hanger bars having vertically f 'the same` time pivotally. lconnecting `tracks with the lower'ends of said bars, a carriage having rollers to travel from spaced openings in their upper ends, pins inserted'through said openingsand resting on the sleepers to hold said hanger bars in vertically adjusted position, a pair of relatively xed horizontal 4tracks extending* beneath the frame and supported pivotally at one l end, the other end ofsaid tracks being distracks, meanshingedly connectin the adjacent ends of the two pairs of tr cks and at said nger either pair of tracks onto thel other, an earth scraper carried by said carriage; means for moving said carriage in elther direction and ymeans for adjusting the outer, end of the.

movable 'tracks vertically.

lposed adjacent the lower end of said hanger V 2. A. ditch'lling machine comprising a portable frame 'having a pair'of transverse.

sleepers, vertical plates secured to opposite sides of said sleepers and extending below the same, bearing blocks secured between the lower ends of said plates andhavin vertical openings, vertical hanger bars slldable-in ,said openings|and through similar openings in the sleepers, means for holding said hanger bars in vertically.A adjusted posltion,

ra pair of relatively fixed -horizontalv tracks extending beneath the"frame and supported 'pivotally at one end,l the vother end of said tracks being disposed adjacent the lower end` of' said hanger bars a pair of relativelymovable tracks alined with the last named ends of the fixed tracks, means hingedly connecting the adjacent ends of the twg pairs oit tracks with the lower ends 'of said hanger v barsfa' carriage mounted on said tracks and carrying an earth scraper, and means for adjusting the outer ends of the movable tracks vertically;v l

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 'set myhand in the presence of two subscribingA witnesses. Y .Y `HABLAN!) W. CARDWELL. i

Witnesses: v

` `R'. O. Mmmm, 

